Ombudsman: All Fired Up

While honeymooning in Aruba, a couple become incensed after their room goes up in flames

My husband and I decided to spend our honeymoon at the Divi & Tamarijn all-inclusive resort in Aruba. We booked the trip almost a year beforehand and were looking forward to an unforgettable ten-day vacation. In the middle of the fifth night of our stay, my husband heard a crackling sound in the wall, and then suddenly the room went up in flames. We threw on some clothes and ran for our lives, escaping with only our backpacks, money, and passports—everything else was lost. It was a terrifying experience. The assistant general manager offered us another room, but we were so shaken that we decided to return home the next day. He refunded us for that night as well as for the remainder of our booking.

In addition to the cost of replacing most of our clothing and other personal items, we had to pay extra to rebook our return flight. We also had to ante up for a hotel room in Boston, because of the time our flight arrived. Seeking to recoup these expenses, which amounted to $1,400, we sent faxes and certified letters to the assistant general manager, but the only reply we got was a fax stating that our request had been forwarded to the Divi & Tamarijn's insurance company. That was seven weeks ago. Can you help us get the refund we believe we are due?

Georgianna Shea

Sturbridge, Massachusetts

Just as the Sheas had anticipated, their vacation was unforgettable—but for all the wrong reasons. Escaping from a blazing hotel room was hardly among their honeymoon plans. And while Ombudsman appreciates that the resort was quick to offer the couple alternate accommodations and to refund the unused portion of their stay, we felt that the Sheas were justified in requesting compensation for at least the items they lost, especially since the fire appeared not to have been their fault. We got in touch with the same assistant general manager whom the Sheas had dealt with to see if he could meet them halfway.

He wrote back to us within two days and apologized for the fact that the person handling the matter was out of the office on vacation. A couple of weeks later, we received a detailed e-mail from the Divi & Tamarijn's director of finance, explaining that the firemen who were at the scene ascertained that the fire was not caused by an electrical problem. The insurance broker who examined the room concurred and suggested that the fire might have started in the bed. Furthermore, the resort was unwilling to pay for the Sheas' clothing because it said that they had left behind only a beach towel and a T-shirt, retrieving everything else and packing it in their luggage before they moved to another room that night. Since the cause of the fire was not clear and there was no evidence that the couple's personal items were destroyed, the hotel denied further compensation. Given the conflicting accounts and the lack of common ground, Ombudsman must reluctantly bring the matter to a close.

We will never know exactly what happened that night, except that there was a serious fire. Fortunately, nobody was injured. Hotel fires do kill—the 1980 blaze at Las Vegas's MGM Grand claimed 84 lives—and this was certainly a traumatic experience for the Divi & Tamarijn's guests and a financial burden for the resort. One would expect a property to show extra care toward a guest who has suffered from a situation far beyond the realm of an everyday mishap. A free dinner or spa treatment, a complimentary excursion or tour, or an offer of reimbursement for damaged items shows sensitivity and sympathy on the hotel's part. (The Divi & Tamarijn had no opportunity to extend such a gesture to the Sheas, since they checked out the next morning.) By the same token, if a property provides acceptable accommodations and a few extras out of goodwill, it has fulfilled its obligation, and no guest should expect more. After all, a hotel that is suddenly short a room—or perhaps several, depending on the extent of the damage—and is now in need of expensive repairs is also in crisis. Guests who demand payment for airfare and other expenses because they decide to cut their trip short are not being reasonable. And those who assume such reimbursement will be forthcoming may be disappointed all over again.

Ombudsman offers a free service of advice and mediation. Because of the volume of letters we receive, we cannot act in all cases. Write to Ombudsman at Condé Nast Traveler (4 Times Square, New York, N.Y. 10036) and include documentation and all photographs. Please note that we cannot respond to submissions sent via e-mail. Correspondence must be typed and must include a daytime telephone number. All submissions become the property of Condé Nast Traveler and will not be returned. Submissions may be edited and may be published or otherwise used in any medium. For the inside scoop on Ombudsman's tips, call 212-286-4410 to order Wendy Perrin's Secrets Every Smart Traveler Should Know ($18, inclusive).